Workshop
Open Online Workshop:
How to Read Research Findings to Distinguish Evidence-Based Programs from Everything Else
User-Friendly Tools for Policy Officials and Stakeholders to Become Experts, Offered by Recognized Leaders in Evidence-Based Reform
Our workshop teaches the core skill needed to be an effective practitioner of evidence-based policy: The ability to read a study and readily assess whether it produced credible evidence.
This core skill is needed, for example, to –
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Distinguish the few programs that are backed by valid evidence from everything else that claims to be, without having to rely on outside “experts” whose biases and capabilities are unknown;
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Sponsor a study capable of generating valid evidence about a program’s effectiveness; and
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Explain research results to key colleagues and stakeholders in a clear and persuasive way, so as to enlist them as partners in your efforts.
Acquiring this core skill is straightforward: Two video series, available here at no charge, followed by eight optional weekly conference calls providing hands-on experience reviewing actual studies.
The videos (linked below) convey the main concepts, and may be accessed at your convenience. They total about 90 minutes in length. The weekly follow-up sessions take place over an eight-week period, via 30-minute conference calls at the noon hour, and cost $150 per participant for all eight sessions (to cover our expenses). Session participants gain hands-on experience reviewing actual studies in a small-group setting facilitated by Coalition staff, with the goal of becoming independent experts. These eight-week sessions are offered periodically throughout the year. The next sessions will be offered Thursdays at noon Eastern time, from October 9 through December 4 (skipping the Thanksgiving holiday). For groups of five or more, we can also schedule a separate set of sessions at a mutually-convenient time. If you have questions or would like to participate, please contact David Anderson by email or phone.
The workshop is administered by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, a national leader in evidence-based reform with no affiliation to any program. The Coalition’s work has had an important impact on federal policy and enacted legislation (as summarized on our homepage), and been cited in the national press (e.g., [1], [2], [3]), and numerous policy documents/publications (e.g., [4], [5], [6]).
To view the online video workshop, please visit our video portfolio here.